Can Paramedics Have Tattoos?
Although tattoos are pretty common nowadays, it is not perceived positively in all places.
Especially in the workplace, tattoos carry a negative sign. This is why in many workplaces, tattoos are discouraged. As a paramedic or someone who aspires to be one, you may ask this question- can paramedics have tattoos?
Yes, paramedics can have tattoos. But he or she must somehow keep the tattoo covered all the time using the uniform. No existing EMTs or paramedics will be permitted to get visible tattoos.
This article covers everything regarding paramedical life and tattoos. You can also learn which jobs are okay with tattoos and which are not. Let’s get started.
Can Paramedics Have Tattoos?
Yes, of course, they can. But the fact is, paramedics are discouraged from having tattoos because of some social limits. So, when they have tattoos visible, they need to cover the tattoo using full sleeve shirt underneath their short sleeve uniform.
Here’s how a barrister expressed her feelings about lining her professional life and tattoos.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news
However, not all professions can embrace the matter of being tattooed.
In EMS, appearance is quite a big deal there. Before, the focus was fully on body piercings and unorthodox haircuts, but recently it drifted to whether paramedics and EMTs can have tattoos or show off their tattoos.
Even though you are committed to providing the best care possible for your patients, some patients may still have a wrong impression of you through your tattoo. In EMs, the employee’s personal outfit has always been a big deal. Before, the focus on personal appearance was more on whether the employees had body piercings or unorthodox haircuts or not.
But in recent times, this shifted towards whether paramedics have tattoos on their bodies and whether they would be allowed to show off their tattoos.
Although, as a paramedic, you are devoted to providing the best care possible, still some people may get the wrong impression just because you have a visible tattoo.
Can I get hired in EMS with tattoos?
You might not get hired if you have very visible tattoos or tattoos considered offensive.
Tattoo isn’t cordially accepted and counted as professionalism in some workplaces. Many paramedics cover their tattoos full time using full-sleeve shirts underneath their uniforms. But this is not always easy.
For example, in Florida, summer is not tolerable wearing a full sleeve shirt underneath. The EMTs and Paramedics have to work long hours, which can become a big problem.
Jobs and Tattoos: 3 Things You Need to Know
Many organizations and industries don’t allow tattoos and discourage employees from getting one. You may ask the question, why? Scroll down to find the answers.
How General People Think About Tattoos
Yes, even in the 20th century, people assume that someone has a criminal history or is problematic just because they have body art; even though this is fairly discriminatory, most jobs and industries tend to accept it. Tattoos are still challenging and controversial for many work chances, despite being widely accepted.
The reasons are:
- Tattoos may create a negative first impression
- Offensive tattoos may drive clients away based on the first impression
- It gives people a less trustworthy impression
- People may assume someone to be a criminal.
Can An Organization Not Hire Someone for Tattoos?
Sadly, there are chances that some companies are entirely permitted to reject hiring you if you have tattoos that are quite visible.
No one is allowed to be treated unfairly or denied employment under the Constitution because of someone’s gender, age, appearance, nationality, etc. However, your rights are not protected by federal or US employment law. The choice to hire you or not is entirely up to top management or the employer of the firm.
Therefore, an employer can refuse to hire you or even fire you if they determine that your tattoos would turn away customers or clients or offend them.
What Kinds of Tattoos Are Not Acceptable?
Tattoos that are offensive and can turn away clients or customers are unacceptable. For instance, tattoos that are offensive or insensitive are never acceptable anywhere, including in the workplace.
You should cover up your tattoos if those tattoos can offend or seriously disturb others.
Therefore, even in the most tolerant work environments, tattoos of a sexual nature, offensive and gory tattoos, tattoos that portray violence of any type, tattoos that feature blood, death, racism, gang affiliations, abusive language, or curse words are not acceptable.
What Jobs Allow Tattoos?
Although many workplaces aren’t quite accepting of tattoos, there are industries where tattoos are not much of an issue or are not discouraged. Here we are going to talk about those careers or industries which welcome tattoos:
Sports
Sports lovers might want to pursue a job as an athlete, even having tattoos, as several sports allow tattoos. There is no need to view tattoos as a sign of lack of care and respect for oneself because athletes and sports enthusiasts take excellent care of their bodies.
Any sport-related career like football player or manager, basketball player or manager, sports event organizer, club or team management, sports analyst or commentator can have tattoos without explaining themselves.
The majority of jobs that allow tattoos of any type are likely those that are related to the arts. The artistic world is very accepting of body art. You may find work where your creativity will be valued and acknowledged, even if you are not creative.
Your tattoos and how you display them won’t be an issue; they’ll likely just help you express yourself and be more creative.
You might pursue careers in photography, writing, poetry, makeup, fashion design, game development or design, music performance (singing, dancing, writing), artistry (painting, sketching, etc.), architecture, acting, voice acting, or any other relevant field.
IT Sector
The IT sector is one of the most accepting of all people, including hundreds of tattoo owners. Nobody in the IT industry is interested in your body art; they just care that you are working hard on your tech skills.
System analysis, network engineering, IT support, web development, Computer programming, and even if you aren’t familiar with the IT business, you’ll be easily working as a quality assurance tester are some of the careers you may want to think about.
Tips on Choosing A Tattoo if You’re a Paramedic
You can get a tattoo and at the same time be a paramedic too. But there are certain things you need to consider while choosing a tattoo:
Placement of the tattoo
As some institutions require nurses or paramedics to cover up their tattoos, you should not get tattoos where you cannot cover them up. For example, neck, lower arm, and also hand tattoos. The acceptable place in your body would be on your chest, torso, or legs.
Design of the tattoo
The first and foremost thing the paramedics should avoid is getting an offensive tattoo. You can get a which contains names, flowers, art, etc.
If a design contains offensive material, it is a must to cover it up properly. Although there are inventive ways to cover potentially offensive tattoos, you should avoid getting anything offensive on your body that you can’t cover if you choose a tattoo.
Medical field
Your tattoo should be influenced by the people you interact with daily in your workplace.
So, getting a tattoo that might make a negative impression on your clients will be bad for you and the organization you work for. Older people see tattoos as a negative sign, so you should cover up if you work for old people more.
There are some patient populations whom they have tattoos on their own.
If so, they might connect better with a paramedic with tattoos. The type of tattoo a nurse gets should be determined by the patients they treat, but keep in mind that you might change careers at some point and have a different audience.
Employer Policy
The tattoo policy of your current or future employers should be your primary deciding factor. If your company dislikes lower arm tattoos, you shouldn’t get one.
Even if tattoos are private, you should take the policy carefully when making decisions because it isn’t worth losing your work or receiving a censure. You should also think about talking to your manager to ensure they are okay with you getting a tattoo that could be seen.
Conclusion
Did you find the answers to your questions?
To make things easier for you, we have tried to answer the questions if paramedics can have tattoos, why or why not. Although paramedics can have tattoos, it mostly depends on the institutions, as different institutions have different employee policies regarding tattoos.
As tattoos are seemingly getting more popular day by day, most paramedics cover up their tattoos using long sleeve shirts underneath. So no need to worry if you already have a tattoo.
